Enterprises are becoming more dependent on people than ever before and in the
twenty first century, an enterprise's survival and success will highly depend on the
ability to manage knowledge as a source for competitive advantage. This study is
concerned with the establishment of a knowledge management program that will
ensure sustainable competitive advantage within the enterprise.
The main problem under investigation is to assess the importance of knowledge
management within an enterprise and to ascertain how knowledge management can
ensure sustained competitive advantage in an enterprise. In the first three chapters of
the study a literature survey is done to get a better understanding of what knowledge
management is, the importance of corporate culture when implementing a knowledge
management program and how knowledge management can be a source for
sustainable competitive advantage or business edge. The advancement in information
technology has allowed enterprises to leverage people's knowledge onto higher
competitive level by improving competencies and processes, reducing mistakes, etc.
and the optimal application of knowledge in a knowledge-based environment is
playing an ever-increasing role in enterprise success.
The second part of the study was an empirical study where a qualitative research was
conducted in the Eskom Transmission Group. The aim of the research was to
investigate understanding of the knowledge management concept amongst business
leaders, determine enablers and barriers to implementing a knowledge management,
and to also determine whether knowledge is seen as a source for competitive
advantage. Structured interviews were conducted with ten business leaders in the
Eskom Transmission Group. The data obtained from the interviews were analysed
and interpreted according to the grounded theory. It was found that although knowledge management is old but as a formalised concept
in the business environment in South Africa it is new and there is no common
definition or understanding of the concept. It is however evident that the need to
manage knowledge is understood and its importance to the sustainability of the
business. The majority of the respondents agree that people issues are critical to the
success of knowledge management in an enterprise, as people own knowledge.
It is suggested that enterprises should adopt a holistic and integrated approach when
establishing a knowledge management program. The holistic approach together with
the framework and guidelines as given in chapter six would afford enterprises the
ability to manage and harness their knowledge for sustainable competitive advantage.
Broad recommendations for establishing a knowledge management program that will
be a source of sustainable competitive advantage are proposed.

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en

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Knowledge management

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Competition

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Strategic planning

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Establishing knowledge management for competitive advantage in an enterprise